Year 4 Science · Classification keys · Lesson 3.5

Year 4 Science: Naming minibeasts nearby

Part of the Year 4 Science classification keys chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

3.5

Naming minibeasts nearby

Year 4
LH2: use and apply classification keys to sort, identify and name living things in nearby and wider surroundings

Story. Mo and Yusuf find minibeasts under a log in the garden. “What is this one with lots of legs?” Yusuf asks. Ms Chen says, “Use the minibeast key. Count the legs first. Look carefully, and then put it back where you found it.”

Minibeasts are small animals, such as spiders, insects, snails and worms. Many live in gardens and parks. The minibeast key uses the number of legs, and whether there is a shell, to name them. Look at the picture of the key, and then the table.

The minibeast key. Step 1: 8 legs gives spider. Step 2: 6 legs gives insect. Step 3: 14 legs gives woodlouse. Step 4: a shell gives snail, and no shell gives worm.

Step	Question	If yes	If no
1	Does it have 8 legs?	spider	go to step 2
2	Does it have 6 legs?	insect	go to step 3
3	Does it have 14 legs?	woodlouse	go to step 4
4	Does it have a shell?	snail	worm

Key ideas

Count the legs of a minibeast carefully before you answer.
8 legs means spider, and 6 legs means insect.
A woodlouse has 14 legs.
A snail has a shell. A worm has no legs and no shell.

Worked example 3.5.1

A minibeast has 8 legs. Which name does the minibeast key give? Write the name.

Method. Start at step 1.

Read step 1. Does it have 8 legs? The answer is yes.
yes
Read the name. The yes column gives spider.
spider
Write the answer.
spider

Check. Spiders have 8 legs. ✓

Worked example 3.5.2

A minibeast has 14 legs. Which step gives its name? Write the step number.

Method. Follow the steps.

Step 1. It does not have 8 legs, so go to step 2.
step 2
Step 2. It does not have 6 legs, so go to step 3.
step 3
Step 3. It has 14 legs, so the yes column gives woodlouse at step 3.
step 3
Write the answer.
3

Check. Woodlice have 14 legs. ✓

Worked example 3.5.3

A snail has a shell and no legs. Write the name the key gives.

Method. Follow the steps for a snail.

Steps 1 to 3. It does not have 8, 6 or 14 legs, so go to step 4.
step 4
Step 4. It has a shell, so the yes column gives snail.
snail
Write the answer.
snail

Check. The shell names the snail. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a woodlouse is not an insect, even though it is small and lives under logs. It has 14 legs, so the key names it separately.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Look under a log or a flowerpot in the garden with a grown-up. Count the legs of any minibeast you see, from a safe distance. Use the key to name it, then put it back exactly where you found it. Wash your hands afterwards.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “How many legs? Is there a shell? Which step is next?” Never let your child pick up a minibeast they do not know, and remind them to be gentle.

Exercise 3E Naming minibeasts nearby

FA minibeast has 8 legs. Which name does the minibeast key give? Write the name.

Done

FA minibeast has 6 legs and 3 body parts. Write the name the key gives.

Done

FA woodlouse has 14 legs. Which step names it? Write the step number.

Done

FA snail has a shell and no legs. Write the number of the step that names it.

Done

FA worm has no legs and no shell. Write the name the key gives.

Done

PSA minibeast has 14 legs. Write the name the key gives.

Done

FHow many questions does the key ask before it names a spider? Write the number.

Done

FHow many questions does it take to name a snail? Write the number.

Done

PSWorking scientifically. Plan how you would test the minibeast key on five minibeasts in a garden. Write one thing you must do to keep it safe.

Done

PSA friend says a woodlouse is an insect, because it is a minibeast. Is the friend right? Write yes or no.

Done

PSA minibeast has 6 legs and wings. Which name does the key give? Write the name.

Done

RWrite one safe rule for finding minibeasts in a garden.

Done